Gifts are my love language. Even still, as much as I love surprises, I ask for what I want. Expecting someone else (namely my husband) to read my mind and choose the perfect item for me is setting both of us up for disappointment. He’d rather get me something he knows I’ll love and I’d rather receive something I will use. Holiday gifts are a big part of how I plan additions to my wardrobe. I save special items I might not normally allow myself to buy for those occasions and ask for them then (this year it’s a piece of jewelry from Tiro Tiro).
As a personal stylist, offering gift certificates just seems like something you should do. But because the work I do is so personal, I have lots of horror stories from the times when I used to offer them. When I would show up to a session for someone who was redeeming a gift certificate, they’d often be confused about who I was, why I was there, and what we were going to do. Often, they’d actually have been offended by the gift (remember back on What Not to Wear when people had that look of horror because they realized everyone around them hated their style?) And then there’d be the people who’d call me out of the blue three years after their gift certificate expired. 🙄 So I stopped offering gift certificates.
It’s not for me or anyone else to tell someone their style is wrong. I don’t care if your husband or your mother thinks you need to change your style, I only care what *you* think. If you’re happy with your style, who am I to come in and tell you to change it?
BUT. I also don’t think people should have to be mind readers to give someone a useful gift. People should be able to ask for things that they want as a gift. It’s not rude, it’s using resources in a way that are certain to be appreciated.
So if this is you, and you actually do want to work with a personal stylist and think it would be a great gift to receive from someone else, I decided to offer gift certificates for my mini-sessions this year. The mini-sessions are online personal styling sessions where we tackle one style issue head on. We can define your style, untangle your shopping habits, or create a capsule wardrobe. After the mini-session, we can continue on with a closet cleanse, I can act as your personal shopper, or you can just run with the guidance I’ve given you.
Share this link with your gift-giver and make it known that you’d appreciate this - I even put a little check box in the terms and conditions that says “This gift certificate has been requested by the recipient” just to make sure there are no hurt feelings 😍 (other fine print: **Gift certificates expire 6 months after purchase and are non-refundable.)
You can read about how mini-sessions work and buy a gift certificate here.
Do you ask for specific gifts or leave it up to the gift giver?
P.S. The cost of the mini-sessions will probably be going up in 2021, so buy one for yourself if you want to get in on the current price! Above is a short video testimonial from Emma’s “Define Your Style” mini personal styling session.